Champagne Specialist Course - Napa Valley Wine Academy
Champagne Specialist Course - Napa Valley Wine Academy
Champagne Specialist Course - Napa Valley Wine Academy
Champagne Specialist Course - Napa Valley Wine Academy

Champagne Specialist Course

Become a Certified Champagne Expert — In Just 2 Days 🥂

You love Champagne, but you know there’s more beneath the bubbles. You’ve tasted great bottles, but you want to understand what makes them exceptional—the terroir, the artistry, and the tradition that define the world’s most celebrated sparkling wine.

Now imagine spending two immersive days tasting 14 Champagnes—including prestige cuvées—while learning directly from Champagne-trained experts. You master service and pairing techniques, decode labels with ease, and gain a credential recognized across the globe. Every pour tells a story—and you can finally tell it, too.

The Champagne Specialist Course, created and certified by the Comité Champagne, is the definitive credential for professionals and serious enthusiasts seeking to master Champagne. This two-day intensive program blends expert-led tastings, hands-on workshops, and in-depth learning about Champagne’s history, terroir, and production.

You’ll experience:

  • Official Comité Champagne certification upon passing the final assessment
  • 14 curated Champagnes, from grower wines to Tête de Cuvée prestige bottlings
  • Small-group workshops focused on service, storage, and perfect food pairings
  • Real-world simulations for hospitality and consulting professionals
  • Pre-course Champagne e-learning access and a comprehensive study book

Taught in 7 cities across the U.S., this elite certification combines prestige, practicality, and passion—giving you the confidence to speak, serve, and sell Champagne like an expert.

Limited seats available. Reserve your place and elevate your Champagne mastery.

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Master the World’s Most Celebrated Sparkling Wine – Certified by the Comité Champagne

Step into the heart of Champagne and emerge a certified specialist. The Champagne Specialist Course, created and certified by the Comité Champagne, is the definitive credential for wine professionals seeking deep, practical expertise in one of the world’s most iconic wine regions. Over two immersive days, this prestigious program delivers a dynamic, hands-on education that combines in-depth knowledge, expert-led tastings, real-world pairing skills, and a globally recognized certification.

What to Expect

📆 Two-Day Intensive | 🕘 Day 1: 9:00am – 5:00pm | Day 2: 9:00am – 6:00pm

From vineyard to flute, gain unmatched insight into Champagne’s terroir, traditions, and techniques. You’ll learn from Champagne-trained expert instructors and taste 14 curated Champagnes, including Tête de Cuvée, showcasing a spectrum of styles from top houses, growers, and cooperatives.

Highlights of the Experience

  • Official Comité Champagne Certification
    Your journey culminates in a rigorous final assessment, earning you a certificate directly from Champagne’s governing body.
  • Deep Practical Focus
    Engage in hands-on workshops—perfect pairings, cellar techniques, and sales simulations—designed to build your real-world consulting and service skills.
  • Exclusive Tastings
    Explore a curated lineup of 14 Champagnes, covering prestige cuvées and distinct producer styles.
  • Small Group Format
    Limited class sizes ensure personalized instruction, group interaction, and an intimate learning environment.
  • Pre-Course Champagne e-learning & Materials: After registration, students can access the free online pre-course provided by the Champagne Comité. We recommend completing the Level 2 Champagne Connoisseur course before attending class.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, you will confidently:
Interpret and explain Champagne labels

  • Assess and describe Champagne wines
  • Recommend ideal pairings based on customer preferences
  • Serve and store Champagne under optimal conditions
  • Provide expert consultation in professional wine settings

Jess Helfand

Instructor, dipWSET, WSET Certified Educator

Jess is an economist by training who has always had a love of wine and spirits. She completed the WSET Diploma in 2016 and has been teaching for the academy since 2017. Her primary goal as an educator is to make wine accessible at any level, from the beginner to the advanced student. Jess is a WSET Certified Educator and holds the titles of Italian Wine Professional (IWP), Certified Sherry Wine Specialist (CSWS), Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW), and is an Italian Wine Ambassador and an Official Ambassador of Orvieto Wines. Her area of focus is sparkling wine, and she is the academy’s lead Champagne Educator, as well as a Certified Cava Educator. Additionally, she holds an MA in Policy Economics from Tulane University and an MBA from the University of Maryland. Jess lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband and four cats. When not teaching, Jess works in a wine and spirits boutique in Nashville.

Csilla Kato

D.W.S., A.I.W.S, Winemaker, Instructor

Csilla was born and raised in beautiful Budapest, Hungary, and was bitten by the wine bug during high school when she helped with regular tastings at her brother’s wine shop. After a short stint in law school, she changed her focus and spent five years earning her Masters degree in Fermentation Science and Post-Harvest Technologies. Right after graduation she had the opportunity to work and travel and landed a harvest in Sonoma, California. Csilla worked with Zinfandel, Cabernet, and Chardonnay while learning the process of winemaking first hand in the famed Ravenswood Winery. After her first harvest, she was hungry for more and went on to take part in harvests in Italy, Hungary, and New Zealand, as well as Napa. She has spent years working in winemaking labs analyzing the myriad of aspects that make wine great while also making great wines along the way. Since 2007 she has been with Beringer Vineyards, where she began as an Enologist and today is an Associate Winemaker with a few labels under her supervision. Tramping around vineyards, tasting fermentations at various stages and assembling final blends are some of her favorite parts of being a winemaker. Csilla also enjoys sharing her passion and knowledge about the wine industry with those who care to know. She holds her Level 4 Diploma with the prestigious Wine & Spirit Education Trust and relishes the opportunity to educate new students at Napa Valley Wine Academy. Married to an amazing brewer, who has taught her to appreciate great beers, she is a mother of two and spends most of her free time enjoying watching them grow.

What’s Included

  • 2-day in-person instruction with Champagne experts
  • Access to the Champagne e-learning platform.
  • Official study guide (shipped to you)
  • 14 Champagne tastings
  • Final examination and certification by Comité Champagne

Day One

  • Session 1: Introduction, Tasting Technique, Pairing Principles
  • Workshop: Perfect Pairing
  • Session 2: Champagne Terroir
  • Workshop: Champagne Game

Day Two

  • Session 3: Traditional Method Production
  • Workshop: The Cellar Master
  • Session 4: Storage, Service & Sales
  • Workshop: The Wine Merchant
  • Final Exam: Multiple Choice, Open Questions & Tasting Assessment

Dallas - Irving Convention Center, 500 W Las Colinas Blvd, TX 75039

Fredericksburg - Six Twists, 426 E Main St, Fredericksburg, TX 78624

Napa - 2501 Oak St, CA 94559

Nashville - Aloft Hotel Nashville, 1715 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN 37203

San Diego - Rancho Bernardo Inn, 17550 Bernardo Oaks Dr, San Diego, CA 92128

Tampa - Epicurean Hotel, 1207 S. Howard Avenue, Tampa, FL 33606

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